My Future with You
by Katia Dashwood
Summary: Hermione and Draco fight an awful lot. As a consequence, they get blasted into the future, where they are married.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer for entire fic: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: I wrote this fic a long time ago and have only recently re-edited it in order to post it on Warning: non-HBP compliant

'Yeah, same to you Malfoy!' Hermione yelled. 'I bloody well don't want to share the same common room with you either!' She stormed into her room. Malfoy went to his door across the hall.

'Damn Granger,' he muttered.

Hermione slammed her door instead of using a hex on him that could have gotten her expelled. She collapsed onto her bed and screamed into her pillow. _Bloody moron!_ She thought angrily. _Thinks he can rule the world. Oh Wait. When he joins the Death Eaters that could be true._ She sighed, lay back, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Hermione woke up in the morning from the sun shining through the windows. _It looks like it will be a goo-Hey! I don't have bay windows in my dormitory,_ she realized with alarm. Then she realized that she was in a large king-sized, four poster bed with curtains, emerald green curtains. And there was someone in the bed with her, his or her arm around her exposed waist. She jerked away, sitting up. He was a man with long blond hair.

_No!_

The man woke up suddenly, and sat up, looking as disoriented as she felt. Hermione screamed and he yelled, "What the bloody-" He was cut off by a small child, who leapt into the bed and hugged him fiercely. Hermione's stomach lurched.

_No! We're not...married._

_'_Mummy!' the girl cried, throwing her arms around Hermione's neck. Hermione automatically returned the hug. _Well, that answers that question_.

'Aria wants some pancakes for breakfast,' the girl said.

'Go and get the house elves to make some,' Malfoy said with forced calmness.

'And don't talk about yourself in the third person,' Hermione couldn't help adding.

As soon as the door shut again, Hermione jumped through the curtains of the bed and landed with her feet on the soft carpet.

Malfoy went around the bed and confronted her. 'What the bloody hell is going on?!' he shouted.

Hermione grabbed her wand and locked the door. Malfoy had his wand at the ready as well. 'What are you doing?!' he hissed.

'I don't want that poor little girl to think her parents don't love each other. I'm sure we can figure this out and leave and, well, what do _you_ know about _this_?!' she demanded.

'Right. I did this. That's rich. Every offence intended, Granger; I will never want to ever be in bed with _you_.'

Hermione turned red. 'Well, then how _did_ we get here? It's not like _I_ would do something like this!"

Just then, an owl at the window interrupted their little fight. Hermione backed up to the window and opened it, never letting Malfoy's wand out of her sight. She let the owl in and took the letter. Hermione opened the letter and began reading it aloud. 'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy.'

'No. No way. I am not married to you,' Draco refused.

' "Shut up and listen." '

'Excuse me?! You cannot talk to me like that! I am a Malfoy!'

'That's what the letter says. "Shut up and listen," ' Hermione told him, glaring. She continued, ' "I have decided that you two should find out what the fates have in store for you. It has been prophesied that you two will marry to bring unity to Purebloods and Muggleborns. You seem to have needed a push in the right direction because of your incessant arguing. Therefore, you will live as a married couple, alone in Malfoy Manor with your daughter, Aria, until such time as I deem fit for you to come back. Yours Most Sincerely, Albus etc., etc. Dumbledore." '


	2. Chapter 2

'WHAT?!'

Hermione let the letter drift to the ground. As she bent over to pick it up, she suddenly realized something. She was wearing a small spaghetti strap top and short hip hugger exercise pants. She immediately righted herself and flushed under Malfoy's open stare. _Bugger._ Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, but then realized, as Hermione had at that exact moment, and he was dressed worse, clad only in boxers. Hermione turned away, she was even redder than he had turned just then. Hermione opened what looked to be a closet door and went in. A light flashed on and Hermione gasped. There were dozens of undoubtedly designer robes. There were slim-fitting witch's robes on one side, and well-tailored wizard's robes on the other. She ran her fingertips over sets of robes before they came to rest on a set of midnight blue robes in silk.

After changing, Hermione opened the door and went back into the bedroom. Draco rushed past her and shut the door to the closet door behind him. Hermione sat down in a chair to wait for Malfoy, as she hadn't the slightest idea how to get to the kitchen.

About fifteen minutes later, he emerged. 'Why are you still here?' he asked coldly.

'Because I don't know my way to the kitchen,' Hermione replied, her voice dripping with an equal amount of disdain. She opened the door after unlocking it. 'Would you show me the way?' she finally conceded to ask.

Malfoy didn't say a word, but merely stalked out of the room, his robes billowing.

_I hate to admit it, but Malfoy is strangely attractive at whatever age we are. And since when can he manage to make his robes do that? _

_Bad, Hermione! Malfoy is the epitome of evil, well, maybe not since, Dumbledore wouldn't try to make me fall for him if he were truly evil, but I refuse to admit my feeli – to fall for Malfoy. _Hermione looked at Malfoy again.

_Arrogant git! Swaggering down the hallway._

Hermione and Malfoy arrived in the kitchen, where Aria was happily employed in devouring a rather large stack of pancakes for a person so small.

Malfoy went over to the counter and picked up a cup of steaming hot tea that had been prepared, no doubt, by a house elf. Hermione, still in a silent rage, especially because Malfoy was ignoring her presence, sat at the table and stabbed a pancake onto her plate with a fork. Aria suddenly dropped her fork onto her plate.

'Are you mad at Mummy?' she directed at Malfoy, who was refusing to sit at the table, and was looking out the window.

Malfoy forced down a gulp of tea and unbelievably said, 'No, of course not.' He sat down at the table and served himself a few pancakes.

Aria still looked concerned. 'You do still love her, don't you, Daddy?'

Malfoy spluttered and coughed, choking on his mouthful of pancake. Hermione flicked her wand, and he stopped gagging. She went back to angrily jabbing at her pancakes, and drowned them in syrup.

Tears welled up in Aria's eyes. 'You have to love Mummy!' she cried. 'Daddy, look at Mummy, she's sad. Kiss her and make her feel better.' Hermione stiffened.

'That won't make her feel better at all,' Malfoy said, forcing himself to stay remotely calm.

Aria started bawling. 'Yes, it will!' she wailed.

Malfoy looked Aria in the eye. 'If I kiss your mum, will you please stop crying?' he asked desperately. He seemed truly uncomfortable with having made such a little girl cry.

'Yes,' Aria sniffled.

Hermione blanched and then flushed red all the way up to her hairline. _Oh no! Malfoy is going to kiss me!_

Malfoy grimaced for half a second, and the got up and went over to Hermione's chair. He bent his head down to hers and quickly kissed her on the lips. Then he went back to his seat, and sat down to finish his meal silently. Aria smiled.

Hermione could still feel the warmth of his lips upon hers, even though the kiss had lasted less than a second. She tried to wipe it off, but still it lingered.

_Damn those lips._

Hermione quickly finished her pancakes and picked up her plate to put in the sink.

'You could leave it for the house elves,' Malfoy pointed out.

'Oh, but I'm already up,' Hermione replied with saccharine sweetness. She set the plate down in the sink and left in a huff.

_Damn it. I've got to go back there because I don't know where to go._ As she turned back towards the kitchen, Aria ran out of it and down the hall. _And now I have to talk to that cockroach._

_'_Back so soon, Granger?' Malfoy taunted her. 'Don't think I'm going to kiss you again. I still can't get that awful feeling off my lips.'

Hermione smirked. _Ha-ha. You can't get rid of it either._

'Yeah right, ferret-boy. I just came to ask if there was a sort of map or something I can use, so I don't have to stick with you all day to find my way around.'

'Well I don't know,' he stalled, examining his wedding band.

Hermione gritted her teeth and grimly replied, 'Please, Malfoy?' and held her head up higher.

'You'll have to find it in my study.

'Our study.'

'_My_ study.'

'Fine. _Your _study.'

'Follow me, then.'

Hermione followed him down several hallways, and into his study. Malfoy motioned to his desk. 'Considering we're supposedly married, I can't imagine there's anything you aren't allowed to see in there,' he said, and with that he left.

Hermione sighed and walked over to the intricately carved mahogany desk. There were piles of papers scattered haphazardly al over the desk.

_Holy Cricket. I need to organize this mess_.

She began sorting. The papers were mostly just newspapers, which she stacked neatly on the floor beside the desk.

Underneath the newspaper, she found newspaper clippings. They were about her, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Malfoy, mostly. Several of the pictures showed Malfoy, Harry, and Ron, seemingly good friends, laughing together, or at a Quidditch match, but many of them were of Hermione and Malfoy together. Some of them were of them at formal occasions, and others just in the office at work. They were smiling at each other in almost every one, either holding hands, or Malfoy's arm about Hermione's waist.

_Wow. We're really happy with each other in the future. _She smiled wistfully. _What ever happened to make that come about?_

She transfigured a page of parchment into a portfolio for the clippings.

After cleaning crumpled scrap parchment and other rubbish off the desk, she found some framed, moving photographs that had been knocked flat. In one, she and Draco were bickering and then suddenly she grabbed him by the shirt collar and kissed him soundly on the lips. _Well, anyway_ she thought, hastily opening a drawer. Hermione organized the entire desk, without finding a map. But then, a parchment floated to the floor while she was putting the stack of newspapers back on the desk. It was a map. It was in the style of the Marauders' map, Hermione could see Malfoy pacing up and down the length of the living room. She smirked.

_Look who's nervous, the Slytherin Prince_. Across the house, Aria was in her room, presumably sleeping, for her dot was still.

Hermione drew her wand. 'Mischief managed,' she said, tapping the map. It remained marked. 'Oh well, it was worth a try. I'll just have to hide it from Malfoy.' She slipped it into a pocket in the side of her robes, and went to the living room, which was only a few doors down the hall from the study.

Malfoy jumped when she came in. 'Bloody hell! What are you doing, sneaking around like that?' he exclaimed.

'Nothing,' she replied. Hermione walked over to the couch and curled up at one end of it, her head on a pillow. She closed her eyes.

'Granger, if you're going to sleep, would you please do it in a bed?'

'I don't intend on walking all the way back up to a bedroom. And there are still two empty cushions, so you can't say I'm hogging the couch.' She fell silent again. She drifted off to sleep, despite Malfoy's grumbling.


	3. Chapter 3

All of a sudden, Malfoy was shouting at Hermione and she awoke. She sat bolt upright and swung her legs over the side of the couch, ready to fight.

Malfoy was looming above her.

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DREAMING ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE WITH POTTER WHILE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MARRIED?!!!!!'

'Malfoy, what are you talking about? I wasn't dreaming about my love life with Harry, because there has never been one!' she snapped and stood up, which forced him to back away.

'Well, then explain why you suddenly cried out, "Harry, no! I love you!"' Malfoy hissed.

'Well, he is one of my best friends, so I do love him,' she said, 'like a brother.'

'Oh, well, fine. I suppose that does explain it,' huffed Malfoy.

Hermione smiled. 'You were jealous, weren't you?' she asked.

'_Me?_ Why on earth would I be jealous? It's not like I care about you, Granger,' he defended.

'Oh really?' Hermione asked. 'Then why did you get so upset?'

'Well, it's because-'

Hermione cut him off, 'Exactly. You haven't got a reason, other than the one I suggested. I'm leaving now. Good bye.'

She started to stalk away. Just as she reached the doorway, Malfoy grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the room. Hermione yanked her arm away.

'What do you think you're doing?!' she demanded. 'Don't you dare even think about pulling me about like a dog again!' she yelled, inches from his face.

'I never meant to treat you like a dog!' he shot back.

'Oh, really?'

'No. I only meant to treat you just like the lowborn witch you are,' he spat.

'What?!' Hermione put her face directly in front of his. 'I am NOT lowborn. And if you haven't forgotten, you daughter isn't pureblood, so perhaps you shouldn't make such comments in this house, or anywhere for that matter. And-'

'Mummy, don't yell at Daddy, please.'

Aria had just come in.

'Shit,' Hermione breathed out, spinning around.

'Language,' Malfoy whispered mockingly in her ear. Hermione shivered as his breath tickled her neck.

'Just because Daddy's being cranky, you shouldn't yell at him,' the little girl piped up boldly.

'I thought we had taken care of that earlier,' Malfoy muttered, walking across the room and sitting on the couch.

'Well?' Aria said.

'Well, what?' asked Hermione.

'Aren't you going to go sit on Daddy's lap?'

'Why would I do that?'

'You always do when Daddy's upset,' Aria replied glibly.

'Wha-'

'Mummy doesn't need to do that,' Malfoy said quickly. 'I'm perfectly happy as I am, thank you.'

Hermione smirked, and then immediately pasted on a sympathetic face. She walked over to the couch and seated herself sideways, sitting on Malfoy.

'Are you sure, love?' she asked, her voice saccharine sweet. 'I _could_ always get up.'

'Wha-you-no, I'm much better now that you're here,' he said, his voice changing.

_He just went from confused to seductive – to something else_, Hermione thought.

'Yay!' Aria squealed, and ran out of the room again.

Malfoy snaked one arm around her, hand on her waist, and placed his other hand on her thigh, and looked into her eyes.

_Alright, perhaps I should stop now that he's going along with it so...charmingly. Or maybe I should just stay here – No! Wrong! I do not like sitting here, gaz-staring down Draco. And besides, he'll probably laugh at me any moment._

_'_Aww. Look at you two,' said an oddly familiar voice.

Hermione jerked her head around.

'Ginny,' Hermione said, blushing furiously, as she started to get up off of Draco's lap.

'Honestly, Hermione, blushing for sitting on your own husband's lap! You don't have to get up," Ginny laughed.

'What happened to "alone" in this house?' Draco muttered, remembering Dumbledore's letter.

'I was just going to get up and offer you a drink,' Hermione covered up, still seated.

'Why?' Ginny asked. 'You've never offered me a drink since, wait, never.'

'Well-I,' started Hermione.

'Draco turns your mind to mush now and then, I know,' Ginny laughed, rolling her eyes.

'I do not,' protested Draco, adding, 'as if anything could,' under his breath. 'And anyway, why did you just show up?'

'Just "show up," honestly, I'm here to get ready with Hermione for the fancy party we've got to go to for all the Aurors at the house of Pansy, "that skanky whore who can't keep her yanky paws off my man" ' Ginny finished, obviously mimicking something Hermione must have said.

'If she's such a whore, then why-' Draco got cut off when Hermione placed her fingertips across his lips.

'Draco,' she hissed.

Hermione quickly disentangled herself from his lap and escaped with Ginny into the hallway. Ginny obviously knew the way to Hermione's bedroom, so Hermione just followed.

'So, what are you planning on wearing?' asked Ginny as they entered the room.

'Umm...'

'I'll help you choose. I've got something in mind already,' Ginny said, as they walked into the closet. She ran her hand along Hermione's robes and pulled out a set in red silk.

'Put these on,' she ordered. Hermione slipped into the robes and Ginny zipped her up the back.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.

'Hmm. Not good enough,' Ginny commented thoughtfully. 'Go and brush your hair while I find something else.'

Hermione slipped the robes off, and went in her slip to brush her hair at the vanity. Just then Draco came in. He caught sight of Hermione, and looked her up and down, making them both blush, and Hermione's heart beat faster.

'I'll just leave,' he said, going back out into the hallway.

Ginny came out of the closet, carrying a set of robes.

'Alright, I've got these nice black-'

'Ginny! You stole my red robes,' Hermione laughed.

'I thought I might as well...' Ginny said.

'Well, they look good on you, so don't worry about it.'

'Not that I was going to worry anyhow. Now put these on,' Ginny ordered.

Hermione pulled on the robes.

'You look beautiful!' Ginny squealed. 'Those robes are perfect for tonight. Very classy.'

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.

'I do look good, quite good,' she agreed.

Ginny waved her wand and Hermione's hair and make-up were done. She did the same for herself.

'Okay, I've got to pop home to make sure Harry doesn't wear a T-shirt and jeans or something crazy like that, and I'll take both Aria and my kids to Mum's house.' Ginny Disapparated.

Hermione went out of the room, and almost ran into Draco, who was mysteriously already wearing dress robes.

'Shall we?' she said brightly and smiled uncertainly.

'Whatever Granger,' Draco muttered, and Disapparated.

'Well of all the nervy imbeciles,' Hermione said, and she too disappeared with a pop.


	4. Chapter 4

Once at the party, Hermione scanned for Draco, upon whom Pansy was about to descend.

'Oh, Draco,' Pansy cooed. 'I see Hermione couldn't come. Too bad.' She reached her hand out towards his arm.

_Oh the nerve that girl has. And the insipid wench seems to have Draco so entirely under her spell, despite his agreement earlier that she's a whore._

Hermione glided gracefully over to them and slipped under Draco's arm.

'Pansy,' Hermione said, with Draco's arm around her waist. 'Thank you for hosting this party tonight. It's so kind of you.'

Draco tightened his arm around Hermione.

_Not so charmed, _Hermione thought triumphantly. _I take back my earlier comment._

_'_Don't mention it,' Pansy replied venomously

Noticing the diamond ring on Pansy's left hand, Hermione asked pointedly, 'Where's your fiancé?'

'Oh, around,' said Pansy. 'I believe I have reason to break off that silly engagement anyway,' she continued, looking significantly at Draco.

This, of course, infuriated Hermione.

Draco, sensing that a blistering accusation was soon to come from Hermione, said, 'Oh look, Harry and Ginny. Come on, Hermione.'

Hermione, seething with anger, went along with him so she wouldn't lose her temper and make a scene.

_Conniving skank. As if Draco would divorce me for her. Really!_

'You're talking out loud,' Draco said under his breath.

Hermione blushed. 'Sorry.'

'What for?' he asked as they reached her friends. Hermione didn't have time to make a reply.

'Hello Hermione. Draco,' greeted Harry. 'You look nice, Hermione. New robes I see.'

'Yes,' Hermione said. _Are they new? _'How are you?'

'Brilliant. Ron's over there with Luna. And, I thought you might care to know that Ron told me he might pop the question soon,' he added, dropping his voice.

'About time,' commented Draco. 'Haven't they fancied each other since the end of fifth year?'

Hermione looked at him, surprised. _He noticed that?_

_'_I agree,' Ginny said. 'And here I am, already a married woman, getting older by the day,' she added teasingly to Harry.

'No, you're not. You look ravishing. Doesn't she?' he asked Draco and Hermione.

'Quite,' approved Hermione. 'Now, I want to dance, so I'll talk to you two later.'

She pulled Draco out to dance, so that he wouldn't have to comment on Ginny's appearance.

'I think that those robes look much better on you,' Draco told Hermione as they danced close.

'Did you sneak into the dressing room when I was trying them on?' Hermione demanded, shocked at his audacity.

'No!' Draco defended. 'I saw a picture on the wall at the Manor.'

'Oh,' Hermione said. They sunk into silence.

Draco drew Hermione closer and she let him. _If only we could always get along this well_. Hermione moved even closer to Draco. Too soon, the song ended.

Moving off the dance floor, Draco spotted his mother.

'Come on, Hermione. My mum's over there,' he said, threading his fingers through hers.

_He called me Hermione when there was no one else to hear!_ Hermione celebrated internally.

'Hello Mum,' he said once they had crossed the room. He let go of Hermione's hand to hug his mother. Hermione started to feel a bit insecure near this woman, whom she had never met.

_Well, **I** have met her. Just not the me who's doing the thinking right now._

_'_And my dear Hermione,' Narcissa greeted warmly. 'How is Aria doing?'

'Just fine,' Hermione answered. 'She's at the Burrow for tonight.'

Just then, Snape came up, and kissed Narcissa.

_When did _this_ happen?_

_'_Hermione. Draco. Good evening,' he said.

'Good evening, Professor,' Hermione replied automatically.

'Come, Hermione, I keep telling you, you must call me Severus,' Snape said with uncharacteristic warmth.

'Good evening Severus,' Hermione corrected herself.

Draco looked quite terribly pleased that his mother and Snape were together, and that Hermione got along well with both of them.

'Mrs. Snape. Professor Snape,' purred a voice.

_Pansy!_

_'_Miss Parkinson,' said Snape icily, a sneer returning to his face.

Narcissa glanced knowingly at Hermione, who had set her jaw in anger already.

'Draco, I've come to ask for a dance,' Pansy said coquettishly.

Hermione couldn't take it any longer, and opened her mouth to speak, but that was quite unnecessary.

'Pansy, once and for all, I am married to Hermione, and I am not even _slightly_ interested in you,' Draco said firmly.

Hermione smiled triumphantly as Pansy's face fell and she slunk away to try to seduce someone else.

'I can't stand that girl,' said Narcissa when Pansy had gone. 'Why you ever at one time in your life fancied her is beyond me, Draco.'

'Because he didn't want to admit his liking for our Hermione here,' Severus said. 'I still believe you liked Hermione in second and third year, despite all your refusals of the fact, Draco. Didn't you?'

Draco got a bit flustered. 'Well, I thought she was attractive, but that's a pretty shallow reason for _fancying_ someone.'

'Uh-huh,' Narcissa said.

'Maybe I sort of fancied her,' Draco admitted.

Hermione's eyes widened. _Whoa. Rewind. And I always thought he hated me. This is very odd._

_'_But I didn't in fourth year.'

'Why not?' asked Hermione, smiling. 'One year you fancy me, the next you don't? And then you obviously change your mind again?'

'Well, you fancied Ron, and then that Krum from Bulgaria.'

'I never liked Krum," Hermione laughed. 'You should know that. But I did fancy Ron, which you do know.'

Draco looked a bit alarmed that that part was true.

'Don't worry, Draco,' Hermione told him. 'There's no place in my heart for anyone but you now.'

_Wow. Where did that come from? _

Surprisingly, instead of being shocked or repulsed, Draco just smiled at her. A real smile. Hermione smiled back, as he slipped his arm around her waist.

'How fortunate we are, Draco, to have found such women as these,' said Severus.

'Most fortunate indeed,' agreed Draco, releasing his arm from around Hermione to gently tuck a cinnamon curl behind her ear.

'I want to dance Severus,' Narcissa said abruptly. 'I know you hate it, but we are at a party, so you will dance at least one dance.'

Severus reluctantly went out onto the dance floor with her, but Hermione could tell that he loved his wife and was glad to make her happy.

Draco looked at Hermione questioningly and they too went to dance.

'What about fifth year and sixth year?' she asked him playfully as they twirled around the dance floor. 'Did you fancy me then?'

'Yes,' he admitted.

'Well you sure did a good job of hiding it,' Hermione said, suddenly getting annoyed.

'Come on, you wouldn't have said yes if I had asked you out,' Draco accused.

'You don't know that,' Hermione said.

'You already agreed that you fancied Ron at one point.'

'Yes, during fourth year, near the Yule Ball.'

'So, you mean to say that...'

'I mean that I fancied you, you thickheaded bloke, and you never saw it,' Hermione said.

'When?'

'Second year, through part of fourth, until you never asked me to the Yule Ball.'

'But not fifth or sixth?'

'I didn't say that, but I wouldn't have had time even if you had asked me out.'

'How can you not have had time?' Draco asked. 'We live at the same school for the majority of the year.'

'If you had the amount of studying I had, well, I guess you did. But I also had various things to do with Harry and Ron, pertaining to an evil dark lord and the end of the world,' Hermione answered.

'So, we fancied each other but never knew it?'

'It sure seems that way.'

'And I fancy you now,' Draco said.

'I fancy you too,' Hermione agreed shyly.

'Then that's all that really matters to me,' he said.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Draco and Hermione picked up Aria and returned home. They walked to their own room as soon as Aria had been tucked in.

'So...er...where do you want me to sleep?' Draco asked.

'Well, considering Aria could burst in like she did yesterday, in the bed,' Hermione said as innocently as she felt was possible considering what she was saying.

'Are you sure?' he checked.

'Yes. You just wait here for five minutes so I can get changed.' Hermione went into the room, hurriedly put on her pyjamas from the night before, and opened the door again.

'Hermione, you look like you're still seventeen. Do you know that?' he commented.

'Thank you. And, because I look so young, you wouldn't try anything with me, would you?' she teased.

'Ah, but you forget that I still have my seventeen-year-old mind,' he grinned, with a trademark double eyebrow raise.

Hermione smirked. 'Goodnight.'

Draco bent down and kissed her cheek. As he was straightening up, Hermione impulsively turned her head and kissed him swiftly on the lips.

'Goodnight,' Draco said, smiling at her.

Hermione climbed into bed and fell asleep before Draco even got in.

Hermione was jolted awake, not by a small blonde-haired girl jumping on her, but by Draco screaming out in his sleep.

'Shhh. Draco, wake up. Wake up,' Hermione murmured, gently shaking him. He stayed asleep, tossing and making incoherent noises. _So much for waking him up gently._ She shook him harder. He sat bolt upright, breathing heavily.

'It was just a nightmare. You're right here,' he said, touching her cheek.

'What happened in your dream?'

'It was the final battle. You-know-who had been killed by Harry, but...'

'But what?'

'Lucius was still alive, even if just barely. He raised his wand and began the killing curse. Pointed at you.'

'You screamed out,' Hermione said quietly, running her fingers through his hair to soothe him.

'What did I say?'

' "No!" '

'I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save you. You were killed,' Draco said mournfully.

'It _was_ just a dream, though,' Hermione comforted. 'I'm glad you did try to save me from your father, even if was just a dream. Now, lets go back to sleep.' She rolled over, and curled up with her head on her pillow.

Draco curled up behind her and put his arm over top of her waist tentatively. Hermione clasped his hand in hers, sighed contentedly, and fell asleep.

'Wake up, Hermione.'

She opened her eyes. _Ow. Light._

_'_Nope,' she decided, 'I'm too tired. Come back later. I'm going back to sleep.'

'I'll put my ice-cold hands on your face,' Draco warned her.

Hermione sat up. 'I'm awake. No cold hands.' She put a hand out. Draco took it and helped her up. It was warm. 'You! Your hands aren't the least bit cold!' she berated him.

'Well, maybe not. But you did wake up, didn't you?' he grinned.

'Why do you want me up, anyhow?' she asked as she walked into the closet, closing the door behind her.

'I sort of made breakfast, and thought you might like some,' he answered.

_He can cook?_

After dressing hurriedly, she came out, and threw her arms around his neck.

'You made me breakfast?!' she asked happily.

'Yes,' Draco said.

'That was so sweet of you.'

Hermione was drawing away, but then decided his lips were too tempting, and kissed him, tightening her embrace instead of loosening it. Draco put his arms around her and kissed her back.

'So,' she said after their kiss. 'Shall we go down to the kitchen?'

'I'd so much rather stay up here,' Draco said in a low voice.

'Draco!' said Hermione. 'Naughty boy.'

'Should I take that as a no?' he asked.

'Take it as a later,' Hermione responded.

'Really?' he asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Maybe,' Hermione said innocently. She pulled away from him and left the room. Then she returned shortly.

'Back so soon?' he drawled.

She swatted his arm playfully. 'I don't know _how_ to get to the kitchen.'

'Well, _I_ do,' said Draco loftily, offering her his arm.

Hermione looped her arm through his. She smiled and held her cheek up for a kiss. Draco obliged, of course, and after that they went down to the kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6

In the kitchen, there was a stack of rather large pancakes on a platter in the middle of the table. Aria was busy at work with a smaller stack she had drowned in syrup. Hermione sat down and lifted a few pancakes on her plate, and smothered them in butter and syrup. Draco followed suit. Hermione finished her food and then ate several more pancakes before putting her plate and Aria empty dishes into the sink. After Hermione had washed off the little girl's sticky face and hands, Aria ran out to play. After washing the dishes, Draco and Hermione went into the living room.

'Daddy,' Aria squealed as they came in. She ran up and grabbed his hand.

Draco looked a little nervous.

'Will you play chess with me?' the little girl asked, leading him over to the chessboard, which was set up on the coffee table.

'Of course,' he said, smiling encouragingly at her. Draco sat down on the sofa, and Aria seated herself on a pouffe on the other side of the table. Hermione placed her wand on the end table and then sat on sofa next to Draco. Aria was apparently brilliant at chess, or seemingly so, because Draco kept groaning. Then Hermione looked at him questioningly and he winked at her.

_He's letting her win on purpose. I thought he couldn't really be that bad at chess._ Aria was grinning like mad as she directed her pieces across the board. Draco's pieces were shouting at him furiously.

It didn't take long before Aria pronounced, 'Checkmate!'

Draco pretended to be upset, until Aria threw her arms around his neck in a hug, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. He looked rather flustered, but couldn't help grinning nonetheless. Aria then decided to play herself at chess, which Hermione found quite endearing.

'Psst,' Draco whispered. Hermione turned her head to look at him. 'I just thought of something. There's something I want to show you.'

He got up off the sofa and reached a hand down to help her up. Hermione took the hand, and twined her fingers through his as they walked down the corridor, outside, to a courtyard and then a giant garden.

'Wow,' Hermione said. The stone walkways meandered through thousands of beds, which were filled with exotic plants. There were elegant arrangements of delicate vines and such and wild entanglements of strangely beautiful flowers.

'It's lovely,' she smiled, looking into Draco's eyes.

'My mother worked in it herself a bit, when she thought no one was looking. And when I was little, she made sure there were healing herbs growing hidden here and there for when...' he trailed off.

Hermione searched his eyes worriedly. She squeezed his hand to comfort him as they sat down on a bench.

Draco took a deep breath and lowered his voice. 'My father used to... to test torture curses on my mother. And he would beat her. Never would he touch her face or hands though. He didn't want word getting out about it, obviously. I would sneak into her room afterwards, and she would be cringing and shaking, lying face down on her bed, with tears streaming down her face.' His face tightened. 'I would take the covers off her back. And her back would sometimes be covered in bruises, but more often in magenta or neon orange spots and welts – magical damage. My mother would whisper what curses she could remember that my father had used. I would tell her what her back looked like, and she would combine that information with how she felt, and add other curses to the list.'

'He cursed her? His own wife?' Hermione whispered, her face stricken with disbelief. She shivered closer to Draco, who put his arm around her.

'Yes. And sometimes he used cursed weapons. Never knives or the like, but ropes, switches, and anything and everything like that. After I went to my mother, I would go and look up the curses my father had used in his Dark Arts books. He would never question my frequent trips to his personal library. He always thought I was just studying up to be a Death Eater. I would find counter curses, and brew antidotes and healing potions and salves in secret while my father was at work. I would nurse my mother back to health, and she would enrich my knowledge of healing herbs and spells when she felt normal.'

'I didn't know you could do healing,' Hermione commented softly. 'I only know simple spells, ones to heal small cuts and bruises.'

'It's a skill I'm glad to have, but one I would rather never to have had to learn.'

'Why didn't the House Elves cure your mother?'

'My father had forbid them to do so. My father thought my mother healed herself. And when my mother was recovered and well, we two would do things together.'

'Like what?' prompted Hermione.

'We would actually go flying together quite a bit, believe it, or not.'

'Really?' Hermione asked, surprised.

Draco grinned, remembering it. 'Yes. My mother is brilliant at flying. She taught me how to play Quidditch long before my father bothered to do so. I never let on about that, naturally. My mother could have been on Slytherin's House team, had girls playing Quidditch not been taboo. We also played chess together, and dozens of other things.'

'Didn't your father ever get annoyed with you spending so much time with your mother? From what I know of him, I would think she was making you go soft.'

'No. He encouraged me to be out of his hair. He didn't even mind when my mother took me out shopping.'

Hermione looked at him incredulously, and smiled. 'You...went _shopping_ with your mother?'

Draco grinned at her surprise. 'Oh yes. All over the UK. I've been in all of the finest shops in the wizarding world. And I don't mean the most expensive. I mean the _finest_ _quality_ shops, regardless of price range.'

'Well, all that explains why you and your mother are so close.' Hermione said to him.

'We are, but how do _you_ know that?' Draco looked at her quizzically.

'We overheard you saying, in fourth year, how you would have gone to Durmstrang if your mother hadn't wished for you not to go so far away from her.' Hermione admitted.

Draco nodded, as he remembered saying that. 'Quite glad I didn't go to Durmstrang.' He looked at her for a moment, and them shook himself. 'We just left a four-year old alone in that house!' he announced with alarm and got to his feet. He grasped both Hermione's hands and pulled her up. She fell off balance and into his chest. Hermione tilted her head back, and they kissed. Hermione broke away almost immediately though, because they _had_ left a four-year old alone in the house, which could turn out badly if they didn't go back in right then.

'We'd better go back in,' she said softly.

'Yeah,' Draco replied reluctantly. They Apparated back into the living room. Hermione gasped. Aria had Hermione's wand and was shooting red sparks at the walls, and making books fly across the room.

'Aria Malfoy!' Hermione said sharply. 'Give me my wand, NOW!'

Aria merrily ignored her. Hermione opened her hand, and her wand flew into it. Her fingers closed around it. Draco gaped at her.

'Go. To. Your. Room. Now.' Hermione ordered angrily. Aria hung her head and walked out of the room. Hermione turned back around, and Draco's mouth was still hanging open. Hermione realised what she had just done.

She had summoned her wand.


	7. Chapter 7

'Since when have you been able to do that?' Draco demanded.

'Since the middle of sixth year,' Hermione answered innocently, but looking very worried.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't see the opportune moment for such a thing. What was I supposed to say? "Draco, thank you so much for making breakfast, and by the way, I can do wandless magic?" '

'Wandless, non-verbal magic' Draco added, crossing his arms.

'Well, it's not like I had any ulterior motives in not telling you,' Hermione said, annoyed.

'How does something like that "slip your mind" though?' he asked, looking her in the eye. He looked extremely hurt.

'You can't possibly think I distrust you.'

'Well, what am I supposed to think?' Draco demanded.

'Draco, I seriously forgot. Well, all right, that first morning I was fully aware of it, but after that, it didn't cross my mind. I usually use my wand at school, so people don't see, so it's really a habit to use my wand. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have used my powers just now. I would have marched over there and snatched the wand, or had you disarm Aria with your wand,' she explained all in one breath.

Draco looked a bit peeved still, but he had relaxed more.

'Hey,' she said, touching his arm, ' If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have eaten those pancakes, right?' she added. A smile played at the corners of Draco's mouth.

'Not unless you had a death wish,' he said, continuing the joke.

'And,' Hermione added, 'Would I kiss you if I didn't trust you?'

'I should certainly hope not,' he murmured, putting his hands on her hips, and then sliding them around her waist. Hermione ran her hands up his arms, and wound her arms around his neck as they kissed deeply. Draco moved backwards to the sofa and pulled Hermione down with him. Luckily for the sanity of their child, some else caught them snogging like mad on the sofa.

'You guys never get sick of each other,' Ginny's voice called from the entrance to the room. Draco and Hermione broke apart and hastily straightened themselves out as they sat up.

'Why does she always seem to come in at the worst moments?' Draco muttered. Hermione poked him to hush him up.

'Hello Ginny,' Hermione greeted.

'What brings you here?' Draco burst out bluntly.

'Poor boy,' Ginny teased. 'Going through withdrawal already?'

Draco glared at her.

'Anyway,' Ginny continued, unconcerned. 'Before I interrupted you two, I was planning on just popping in to return Hermione's robes and share some news over a cup of tea.'

'Well, gossip and tea sounds like great fun,' Draco said sarcastically, 'But I've got to go...uh... straighten up my study.' He Disapparated with a pop.

'By the way, I already put your robes back, 'Mione, and all I can say is I'm glad you two were down here, and I'm glad I knocked at your room first, in case you had been up there,' Ginny said, shaking herself. 'So, anyhow, time to get down to the news, which incidentally _is_ news, not gossip, like your charming husband was so kind to assume.'

'How about some Butterbeer instead of tea,' Hermione suggested.

'Thanks.'

Hermione waved her hand and two bottles appeared on the table.

'So, spill,' Hermione said, taking a gulp of the warm liquid.

'I am pregnant with number two,' Ginny announced proudly, a hand on her stomach.

'Good for you!' Hermione congratulated.

'So, any more on the way for you?' Ginny asked significantly.

Hermione turned pink. 'No. I would have told you.'

Ginny looked disappointed. 'I thought we might be pregnant at the same time again,' she admitted.

'Sorry,' Hermione said.

'Does Draco want another baby?' Ginny asked, just as the man himself walked in, drinking a bottle of Butterbeer.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco coughed and spluttered. Ginny turned to look at him; curious as to why he was having so much trouble. Hermione waved her hand and Draco stopped gagging.

'Draco, _do_ you want to have another kid?' Ginny directed at him.

'Sure,' he said, trying to sound confident about it. However, he managed to say that one small word falteringly.

He gave Hermione pleading look to save him from further inquiries from Ginny. She patted the sofa next to her, and he sat down cautiously, potting an arm around Hermione. Hermione took his Butterbeer bottle and drank out of it.

'Hey,' he protested, reaching for it.

'I'm giving it back,' Hermione assured him, putting the bottle back in his open hand.

'So, um, why are you two talking about babies?' he asked cautiously.

'I'm pregnant,' Ginny told him.

'Congratulations,' he said genuinely.

'And,' Ginny started, 'Another bit of happy news is that Ron supposedly popped the question to Luna yesterday.'

'Really?' Hermione asked excitedly.

'Yes. And Harry and Ron are at work right now; they took young James with them, which I think was a bad idea. At any rate, they should pop in very soon.'

'We're going to need another sofa,' Draco commented suddenly.

'Or, we could just all go out to lunch,' Hermione said. 'I'll go get Aria ready.'

When Hermione got back into the room with Aria, Ron, James, and Harry had already arrived.

'Well?' Hermione asked expectantly.

'She said yes!' Ron exclaimed happily. Hermione gave him a big hug.

'Of course she did,' Hermione laughed. 'Why isn't she here, too, by the way?'

'Oh, she'll be along,' Ron replied confidently.

Sure enough, Luna popped in right then.

'Hello,' she said. 'I'm sure Ron has told you all that we're engaged,' she commented dreamily, as he put his arm around her waist.

'Have you got an engagement ring yet?' prompted Ginny.

Luna merely extended her left hand in response. Ginny and Hermione came and examined the ring. It was gold, set with a purple stone.

'Amethyst?' Ginny questioned.

'I like purple,' Luna replied, smiling.

'Makes sense to me,' Hermione said, agreeing with Luna for once.

'But of course, this is coming from the woman who has a diamond bordered by a ruby and an emerald,' Ginny pointed out.

'So?' Hermione laughed.

Ron cleared his throat. 'Um, can we go get some lunch now?' he asked.

'Sure,' Luna said. 'Let's go to that café in London.'

'OK,' Ron agreed.

'Where exactly, in London?' Draco inquired nervously.

'Muggle London,' Ron told him. 'We'll Floo to Harry and Ginny's and then drive.'

Draco looked rather uncomfortable. 'Muggle London?' he asked, wrinkling his nose. 'Why can't we go to, I don't know, say, Fortesque's?'

'Draco, you've been to cafes in Muggle London dozens of times, what's your issue?' Harry asked suspiciously.

'I'd rather not go where the crowds are.'

'Where the crowds are, or where the Muggles are?' Harry demanded. 'Hermione's a Muggleborn in case you haven't forgotten. It's like you're channelling your old self.'

'No,' Draco defended, drawling. 'I just wanted to Floo directly to the place instead of driving, Potter!' he spat.

Everyone gasped, and Harry looked dangerously angry.

Hermione thought quickly and acted before either Harry or Draco could do something stupid. She pressed the back of her hand to Draco's forehead.

'Draco! No wonder you're acting so strange! You're burning up! Go up to bed right now!' she ordered.

'But-'

'No buts, Draco Malfoy!' Hermione commanded shrilly. 'Get upstairs and I'll come check in on you later.'

She turned him around and gave him a shove out the door. She knew things could get ugly at any moment.

'Ari, poppet, be a good girl and go keep Daddy company,' she told her daughter.

Aria ran out of the room, calling to Draco, who picked her up. Ginny followed suit and quietly sent James with Ron and Luna, away.

Once Aria and Draco were out of earshot, Harry spoke up. 'What the HELL is wrong with him?!!' he shot accusingly at Hermione.

'I don't know, Harry,' Hermione said softly.

'I thought he was our friend!' Harry exclaimed. 'But it seems like the old Malfoy is back or something. You had to have known about this!'

Hermione suddenly snapped. 'HARRY JAMES POTTER!' she shouted. Harry began to get nervous. 'Don't you dare say things like that about my husband! Muggle London makes him nervous. He's still gets jumpy when there are large crowds, just as you do.' She paused for breath.

'And you say Malfoy like the name is worse than slime, like it is a disgrace, and forget that I am now a Malfoy too!!' Her eyes were flashing dangerously at this point. 'Do you possibly have any more insults for me?'

Harry shook his head, even though he was still visibly brassed off at Draco. He Disapparated to keep out of more trouble.

Once he had gone, Hermione collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears. To her surprise, Ginny knelt down next to her and gave her a hug to comfort her.

'Ginny, I'm sorry,' Hermione sobbed, as the other woman rubbed her back.

'Shh. It's alright,' Ginny assured her softly. After a while, Hermione finally stopped crying, and sat upright.

'Do you have anything you want to tell me?' asked Ginny, raising an eyebrow, 'because I've noticed some very strange things around here lately.'

'Yes,' Hermione replied, taking a deep breath. 'It all started yesterday morning, or rather, sometime during the night.'


	9. Chapter 9

'So, you and Draco were sent here from the past?' Ginny asked.

Hermione blushed.

'I'm glad that you two have finally come to your senses!' Ginny exclaimed. 'Imagine, Dumbledore meddling with time, because you guys were too filled with bloody hormones to see past the anger to other tensions,' she continued.

'I knew something was going on, though. I mean something besides you guys getting it on,' Ginny smirked.

'What "strange things" did you notice?' Hermione asked.

'Hmm. Let's see. You blushing for sitting on Draco's lap, for one thing. You do that all the time, and never seem the slightest bit embarrassed about it.'

'Good lord,' Hermione muttered.

'Oh, and I came back last night, after I left to drop the kids with Mum,' Ginny continued, dropping her voice. 'I wanted to borrow a wrap, and you had just gone out into the hallway. I walked across the room to catch you before you left, and I heard Draco snap, "Whatever Granger!" at you. I know that no man in their right mind, especially not Draco, the older Draco, I mean, would call their wife by her maiden name. especially not in that tone of voice.'

'Why didn't you say anything to me about it?' Hermione asked, getting up off of the floor. Ginny stood up too.

'I knew that you would tell me sooner or later if it was true, and if you got switched back, I didn't want your real older self to think that I was crazy,' Ginny replied. 'Now, I'll be available if you need to talk. Just Floo me. But wait an hour or so, because I need to go home and calm Harry down.'

Hermione sighed.

'All right. Just please don't tell him the truth. It could really screw up the past if too many people find out about this switch, and someone tells us what happens in the past.'

'Duh,' Ginny said.

Hermione went up to the bedroom, where Draco was now alone, pacing.

'What's wrong?' he asked her worriedly, coming over to her.

'I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG, DRACO MALFOY!!!!!!!!!! _YOU_!!! THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG!! You just _had_ to go and say those things, and call Harry "Potter"!!! Why?! You know you're not supposed to let anyone know what's going on! We're supposed to be our future selves. No different. And yet, you just couldn't shut up and let me handle it!!' Hermione yelled shrilly.

'Let you handle it?!' Draco yelled back 'Oh, I suppose you were going to stop us from going to a Muggle café?!'

'Yes. I was!' Hermione shot back. 'I know you can't handle it!! I know you can't!! I was going to steer it away to somewhere else, because Aria was throwing too many temper tantrums today and making things fly around and smash, or something like that!! But noooooo. You decided instead you'd insult someone who you're best mates with!'

'I'm sorry,' Draco mumbled.

'Apology accepted,' Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.

'But that wasn't what I was asking about just now.' Draco said, his eyes flashing. 'I was talking about how your face is streaked and blotchy from tears. Did P-Harry make you cry down there? Because if he did -'

'It was a combination of him _and_ _you_, actually,' Hermione said. 'You may be excused more easily, since you're not used to having someone like me to look out for you, you're used to having to deal with everything yourself. And two days ago you wouldn't even speak politely to me, let alone call Harry by his first name.'

Draco looked relieved.

'However,' Hermione continued. Draco's face fell again. '_Harry_ is a grown man. He as been good friends with you for some time now, and reverted to his old treatment of you in a heart beat. He still doesn't completely trust you, and it's at least six years past our time! Sure, he acted like he trusted you, but deep down inside, he was holding back! And that disturbs me! _And_ I had to explain the situation to Ginny.'

Draco looked worried.

'Oh, don't look at me like that,' Hermione said crossly. 'Ginny promised not to tell him.'

'I'm really sorry, Hermione,' Draco said. 'I'm sorry I blew our cover, and that I lost control. I'm just...sort of nervous around Muggles.'

'Why? I thought you just didn't want to be near the crowds,' Hermione said. 'Isn't this place near a Muggle village? Didn't you have near collisions with helicopters on your broomstick when you were younger?' she teased.

'Yes, well, see, I was sort of spotted on my broom by this old Muggle, who was in his garden, and he, uh, shot at me,' Draco explained embarrassedly.

Hermione laughed.

'I'm sorry,' she eked out between giggles.

'It's not funny,' Draco said indignantly, turning pink. 'I'm sure you must have been afraid of wizards at one time.'

'Not really,' Hermione answered, finally finished laughing. 'I was just afraid that I wouldn't know enough.'

'Well, that explains why you always sound like you've swallowed the textbook,' Draco smirked.

'Which is why I have the highest marks in our grade,' Hermione smirked right back.

'Don't remind me,' Draco groaned.

'Jealous, Dray-co?' Hermione teased, tracing her fingers down his jaw line.

'Me? Never!' he denied, though his voice was softening under her touch.

'Will you apologise to Harry?' she asked, coming closer to him.

'If he'll apologise to me,' Draco compromised, placing his hands on her waist and closing the gap between them

'Do you think that Ginny would let him get away with not apologizing?' Hermione laughed.

'At least someone can control him. You never could, really,' Draco teased.

'But I can get _you_ to do what I want,' Hermione smirked.

'Why do you think that, woman?' he asked, pretending to be affronted.

'Because you're a man,' she teased softly.

'Just a man, huh?' Draco smirked.

'No, not just _a_ man. You're _my_ man,' Hermione replied, grinning mischievously before she kissed him.

Hermione ran her hands up Draco's chest as he deepened their kiss. Draco slid his fingers underneath the edge of Hermione's shirt. She tugged his shirt out of his waistband, and he peeled it off over his head.

Just then, a shriek came from behind them. Draco groaned as he and Hermione had to stop their enthusiastic snogging. Hermione reluctantly turned her head as she slid her arms around Draco.

'Ginevra Potter!' she reprimanded. 'Don't Apparate into our bedroom like that!'

'Well, sor-ry! It's 1:00 in the afternoon! I didn't think that you two would be like _this_, this early in the day,' Ginny squeaked, her face beet red. 'Especially considering the circumstances!'

'Very convenient circumstances,' Draco murmured to Hermione.

She stifled a giggle.

'Why _are_ you here, by the way?' he demanded of Ginny. 'And why do you have such bad timing?' he complained.

'Well, I _just_ came over to say that Harry will apologise if you do,' Ginny told him. 'And I do _not_ have bad timing. You guys just can't keep your hands off each other. You're sure making up for lost time! How are you going to manage to behave when you get sent back to school?'

'Maybe we won't manage it,' Hermione said, and then blushed, shocked at her own words.

'Okay...' Ginny said, looking even more uncomfortable. 'I'll just see you tomorrow then.'

She Disapparated with a crack.

'Well, she sure ruined the moment,' Draco said a moment after Ginny had left. He pulled his shirt back on.

'I'm sure there will be other moments,' Hermione said impishly.

'I hope so,' Draco replied, putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of their room.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Hermione and Draco spent their morning entertaining Aria. Then, after lunch, the Potter family arrived. James ran off to play with Aria somewhere in the house, leaving the adults alone in the living room.

Draco regarded Harry with trepidation, and then Harry extended his hand, grinning.

'Sorry about yesterday, mate,' he said.

'I'm sorry too,' Draco managed to reply, surprised at Harry's friendliness.

'Ginny told me that some kind of talk about babies set you on the edge,' Harry smiled, his eyes sparkling mischievously. 'Honestly, I thought you'd gotten past that since Aria came along, and what with how babies are-OW!!' Ginny had elbowed him hard in the ribs.

'Harry!' she hissed. Draco still looked quite embarrassed, and his face was tinged pink.

'Now, how about some lunch?' Ginny asked.

'We'd love that,' Hermione accepted. 'Where to?'

'Muggle London,' Draco broke in.

'Alright,' Harry said. 'I'll go get James and Aria.' He Disapparated with a crack.

'You sure, Dray?' Hermione asked Draco quietly.

He nodded. Hermione smiled at him and kissed him on the cheekas he shyly took her hand in his.

Ginny snorted.

'What?' Hermione asked.

'Yesterday, you two were getting all hot and heavy in the bedroom, and now you're acting like this is a first date,' Ginny smirked.

'Well-I-' Just then, Harry walked in, holding a hand of each of the children.

'Ready?' he asked.

'Yes,' Ginny replied. 'Come here James,' she called to her son. 'Now, remember what I've told you about Flooing. Never talk while Mummy takes you into the fireplace.'

The messy haired little boy nodded his head.

'The same goes for you Ari,' Hermione echoed. 'Now come on, let's go.'

She hoisted Aria up into her arms, and stepped towards the fireplace.

'Diagon Alley!' she announced clearly after throwing a pinch of Floo powder onto the flames.

Once everyone had Flooed into Diagon Alley, the group walked into the Leaky Cauldron so that they could go through to the Charing Cross Road.

'Now, don't say a word about Muggles or magic, or anything like that,' Hermione reminded Aria sternly.

'Of course not, Mummy,' Aria promised solemnly. 'Or Uncle Fred won't take me on his broomstick. I know.'

'Good girl,' Hermione said, taking her daughter's hand.

'Are you sure it's a good idea for _Uncle Fred_ to take her on a broom ride?' Draco whispered in Hermione's ear as they approached the door.

'The twins may put a toe on the line, but they never cross it. She'll be fine,' Hermione said calmly.

Draco shrugged, and they all went through the door into Muggle London. Draco looked about slightly apprehensively. Hermione smiled at him, and snuggled close to his side.

'So,' Ginny said after they had been walking for a few minutes. 'Which café?'

'That one,' Harry said, pointing to one situated on the corner of two roads.

They walked over, and sat down. A waiter came over to their table.

'What would you all be having for drinks?' the man asked, looking at Draco first.

'I'll have a Bu-Root Beer please,' Draco ordered. 'What would you like, poppet?' he asked Aria.

'Milk,' she answered.

'And a milk for the little one,' Draco finished.

'I'll have a Shirley Temple,' Hermione said.

'Same for me,' added Ginny.

'A Coke for me,' said Harry. 'And could we get grilled cheese sandwiches all around?'

Draco looked a bit peeved that Harry had decided what everyone would have, and that it was a food he liked in addition, but Hermione shot him a warning glare, so he thought it best to keep his mouth shut.

'So, back to work on Monday, Draco?' Harry said.

'I suppose so,' Draco said uncertainly.

'You and Hermione have a new project, by the way,' Harry told them. 'Don't know what it is yet, but it should be a challenge. And I've got tickets for the match tomorrow, so I get to skive off work,' he added gleefully. 'Not that I don't enjoy working, but I mean, who could miss the match against-'

Ginny cleared her throat. The waiter was back.

'Honestly,' Ginny said when the man had gone again. 'You two are worse than the children about keeping your mouths shut.'

'About that-which-must-not-be-spoken-of-around-_them_?' Aria asked. 'Like about how Uncle Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived-and-Vanquished-Over-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named even though you all _do_ say his name?' she added, grinning.

'Shush,' Hermione said.

Aria remembered about Uncle Fred and immediately closed her mouth.

'They don't understand,' Draco said.

'What about that time in the bookstore?' Ginny asked Harry teasingly. 'I'll never forget it. "Harry Potter!" she mimicked. '"Oh please, won't you sign my copy of _Modern Times and the Fall of You-Know-Who_?"'

She laughed out loud.

'You can't tell if they understand or not, so keep it quiet,' she told Aria and James forcefully.

She got the Mrs. Weasley look on her face, and the children sat up straighter, and ate their food quietly. That silence of course didn't last long, considering whom the children's parents and relatives were, but it was something. They finished their meal, without once mentioning anything else about the wizarding world.

'I'm proud of you,' Ginny said to Harry. 'You've been pretty good on the whole. Maybe I'll even take you out again sometime,' she said merrily.

'On a date?' Harry asked, pulling out his wallet.

'If you're lucky,' Ginny teased.

'You want to go out sometime?' Draco asked Hermione quietly.

'When we get back?' Hermione whispered. Draco nodded. 'Of course,' she accepted, smiling broadly.

The waiter came over with the check, and pulled a small book out of his back pocket.

'Mr. Potter, would you please sign this for my sister, Jenna?' the man asked. 'I know you probably get swamped with autograph requests, but it would mean a lot to her, since she lost friends due to You-Know-Who.'

'Of course,' Harry said amiably, as Ginny giggled behind her hand.

'Uncle Harry,' Aria said in a sing-song voice. 'He _did_ know who you are. And he talked about Voldemort.'

The waiter jumped and looked in shock at the small girl.

'Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself,' Hermione defended.

'You're that woman, Granger,' the waiter said. 'I'm a Muggle myself, so I don't know much. You helped defeat…You-Know-Who, didn't you?'

Hermione nodded.

'Many helped, just not all are famous or lived to tell the tale,' Ginny said solemnly. 'It was nice to meet you, sir, but we really must be going now.'

The group got up and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

'Well, that was great,' Harry said sarcastically. 'Silly, star-struck people everywhere I go.'

'Oh, hush up, Harry,' Ginny told him. 'All of us get too much attention, but that's the way life is for all of us, not just you. Let's just go home. Bye, Hermione. Bye, Draco,' she said.

Hermione hugged her friend. 'I'll see you later,' Hermione said.

'When are you going back?' Ginny asked meaningfully.

'I don't know,' Hermione answered. 'Most likely Monday.'

'Bye guys,' Harry said. He took his son's hand, and all of them went to Floo home.

When they got home, Aria went to go play in her room, whilst Hermione and Draco went to the living room.

'You did very well,' Hermione said softly, snuggling next to Draco on the couch.

'At least I caught myself on the Butterbeer thing,' he said. 'Bloke must've thought I have a speech impediment.' Hermione laughed.

'He'll have forgotten you by tomorrow,' she assured him.

'Do you think we actually will be allowed to go out when we get back?' Draco asked. 'Or will we have to hide our relationship?'

'Most likely, we will have to hide it,' Hermione said. 'But it was sweet of you to ask me out anyhow.' She rested her head against him. 'It's so cosy right now.'

'We can relax while we're here. A world where the Dark Lord – where _Voldemort_ no longer exists.'

'Draco,' Hermione started, sitting up, and pulling away so that she could see his face. 'Has your father made contact with you at all after he broke out of Azkaban?'

'Yes,' he said, his expression hardening.

'Has he...' Hermione trailed off.

'He has asked me to become a Death Eater,' Draco answered, voice steely. 'Multiple times. But I've convinced him I can do more without a mark on my arm, that I'll be able to get away better if caught doing something without it.'

Hermione hesitantly touched his arm.

_Maybe I shouldn't have said anything just now. He looks angry._

'I'm not mad at you,' Draco sighed. 'I'm just angry with _him_ and everything else in my life! And you,' he said, more softly now, 'you're so kind, and caring, and innocent.'

'I've seen a lot,' Hermione reminded him. "I was there at the Department of Mysteries. I was cursed by Dolohov.'

'But, you're going to be subject to so much more, if...if _they_ find out about us. I don't like putting you in more danger,' Draco said, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it.

'Draco, I-I'm in so much danger as it is. Probably the worst. I'm one of Harry's two best friends, Harry whom Voldemort despises above all people. And I'm a girl, which makes it worse. I don't care about the danger,' she said, looking deep into Draco's eyes.

_And I think I love you._

'I care about you, Hermione,' Draco said steadily. 'I don't want you to enter into a relationship with me without knowing the full risk. If you're caught, you won't be killed. You'll be a slave. Of the worst kind, a sex slave. For my father, if he's the one to catch you. That much I know. I've read the old books, about the Dark Times before Voldemort tried to kill Harry. They covered it up, but it's there in my fathers' books. A Death Eater, he loved a Muggle-born witch. Voldemort found out. She was subjected to that horrible way of life until she managed to kill her captor, but she was then killed herself. And another, a Slytherin, and a Death Eater loved a Muggle-born witch, and she would have been made a slave to another, and they would have tried to break her, if she had not gotten in the way of someone else being killed. Someone who survived the Killing Curse.'

'_Harry's mum?_' Hermione asked in a whisper.

'Yes.'

'Who loved her?' Hermione asked quietly.

'Professor Snape. He had gone over to the Order, but they didn't know about Pettigrew, and his infidelity to the Potters.'

Hermione gasped. 'So that's really why he hates Harry. Harry's dad got the girl Snape could never have.'

Draco nodded. Hermione suddenly burst into tears, and started sobbing. Draco pulled her into his embrace, and held her. Eventually, Hermione stopped crying, and she and Draco fell into a worried sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione woke up with a crick in her neck, and remembered why she had fallen asleep so early in the afternoon. The only pleasant part about it was that she was lying with Draco beside her. He awoke under the power of her gaze, and they both sat up, yawning and stretching.

'Snape loved her. I never knew,' Hermione said. 'But he and _your_ mother are together now. And they look happy. Well, Snape being happy is something foreign to me, but it's still sweet.'

'Maybe we can help them get together quicker when we get back,' Draco suggested.

_When we go back... _The words echoed in Hermione's mind.

'Draco, -' Hermione's near confession that she thought she was in love with him was arrested by Aria leaping onto the couch.

Draco grunted when Aria landed on him, her knees slamming into his stomach.

'Hello, sweetheart,' he said, rearranging her on his lap.

'You and Mummy were sleeping, weren't you, Daddy?' Aria asked, throwing her small arms around his neck.

'Yes...' Draco answered, unsure of where this conversation was headed.

'Why?'

'Because we were tired,' Hermione said simply.

'Oh,' Aria said, disappointed it wasn't more interesting.

Draco sighed in relief.

'When's dinner?' Aria demanded to know.

Hermione looked at the clock. It was already seven.

'How about right now?' she suggested. She wanted to get Aria fed and tucked in so that she herself could go back to sleep.

'Thank you, Mummy,' the little girl said, leaning over to kiss Hermione's cheek. 'Carry me, Daddy?' she asked sweetly to Draco.

'Sure, poppet,' he said, getting up and adjusting her grip around his neck. 'My lady,' he said to Hermione, waiting for her.

After dinner, and tucking Aria into bed, Hermione and Draco retired to their bedroom. After the previous day's snog, the air almost crackled with sexual tension as Hermione changed in the closet. When the door was opened, Draco was already changed, or rather; he had just stripped down to boxers, and had gotten into bed. Hermione felt her face flush, and her skin grow hotter just by looking at him. And from the way his eyes traveled over her body as she slipped underneath the covers, he felt the same way.

'Goodnight,' she whispered.

'Goodnight,' he returned softly.

They both knew that it would be far too dangerous to kiss goodnight while they were in bed. They weren't ready for certain things quite yet, as those three little words had yet to have been exchanged (and neither of them would have the piece of mind to lock the door against small children).

The next morning, Hermione awoke before Draco did. She rolled over and watched him sleeping. His blond hair was tousled and fell into his face. Hermione reached out and pushed it tenderly out of his eyes. Then she trailed her index finger down his throat and let her hand come to rest on his chest. Then she kissed him softly on his jaw, cheek, and finally his mouth. Hermione's teasing lips his made it impossible for him to stay asleep, so Draco woke up and reciprocated her advances.

'Good morning, Beautiful,' he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

'Good morning, yourself,' Hermione smiled back. 'You'd better get up and dressed. Isn't today the day of that Quidditch match?'

Draco pouted. 'Can't I just stay here with you?' he grumbled, sitting up so that he could kiss her properly.

Hermione drew away. 'No, you told Harry you'd go. And, look on the bright side. You get to find out the outcome of a match that won't happen for years.'

Draco grinned at that. 'And so I will,' he said cheerfully. 'What a laugh it will be when I see it in true time. I can make a bet with Harry on the outcome and win!'

Hermione slid out of bed, and crossed to the closet. She closed her eyes and walked to her line of robes. She stuck out her hand, and it landed on a set of robes much like McGonagall's. She smiled. Harry might have a conniption if she wore that much green.

_But then, he can't complain, as I've probably worn these before, and McGonagall has ones almost identical to these, and he has never said a word._

Hermione dressed quickly and went back into the bedroom. Draco hurried past her into the closet so that he would actually make it in there. Hermione Disapparated with a soft pop down to the kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

On Saturday morning, Hermione and Draco went through their routine of getting dressed quickly so that they wouldn't prematurely go to bed, and went down to the kitchen for breakfast. Aria had already eaten, so they could enjoy a meal by themselves.

'Pancakes?' Hermione asked, walking over to the stove.

'Pancakes sounds nice,' Draco rumbled in her ear as she opened the cupboard.

'Dray-co!' Hermione squealed girlishly. 'Do you or do you not want any breakfast?' She turned so that she could see his face.

'Breakfast,' he admitted regretfully. 'I'll help you.'

'Why, thank you,' Hermione said. They managed to throw together the pancake batter, and cooked up a large stack before sitting down to eat.

Draco started wolfing down his food as he read the _Daily Prophet_. Hermione sniggered.

'What?' he asked, looking up.

'You look so thoroughly undignified when you eat like that,' she said teasingly.

'So?' he asked.

'You mean to say that you don't care?' Hermione inquired, a bit surprised.

'I want to eat quickly,' Draco replied, trying to look innocent.

'Why?' Hermione asked, trying equally hard to look innocent, and failing just as miserably.

'So I can spend time with you,' he said in a low voice.

'Well, you won't be able to if you choke on your food, so please slow down a bit,' she told him.

She drank her milk with a satisfied smile on her face, and watched Draco as his eyes zipped back and forth across the page of the newspaper. When she was finished, Hermione went over to the sink to wash up her dishes, with the aid of magic, of course.

'You are so gorgeous, Hermione,' Draco murmured, kissing her neck.

'Draco!' Hermione said, shrugging away.

'What?' he asked, doing it again. 'You _are_ gorgeous.'

'Aria might come in here!' she said, scandalised.

'So what? She seems to be rather fixated on us kissing,' he murmured, his breath tickling her ear.

'Yes. Not _you,_ kissing my neck. _Us_ kissing,' Hermione repeated, turning around in his arms.

She wound her arms around his neck as she kissed him. Draco pulled her closer, and she arched against him as he deepened their kiss and his hands roamed over her body.

'Ah-hem,' somebody cleared their throat in the doorway. Draco and Hermione reluctantly broke apart, though his arm remained about her waist.

'Oh bother,' Draco muttered, still looking at Hermione. 'Ginny really must stop.'

Hermione stepped on his foot to silence him.

'Professor Dumbledore,' Hermione said somewhat awkwardly. "Can I offer you anything to eat or drink?' she asked.

'No, no. I'm not staying long. I just came by to see how you two are doing,' he answered, with a twinkle in his eye.

Hermione and Draco glanced at each other.

'Well,' said Draco. 'Extremely well. And yourself?' he added, trying to postpone whatever Dumbledore wanted to say. Draco put his other arm around Hermione as well.

'Good, good,' Dumbledore said, more to himself than to either of them. 'Well, I believe I'll see you two tomorrow, then. Sunday. Quidditch in the morning,' he commented, smiling to himself. 'Goodbye.' He Disapparated.

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief, and hugged Draco. 'We probably should have said we weren't getting along so he'd leave us here longer,' she mused, her voice muffled against Draco's chest.

'Oh yes, Hermione. He'd have believed us,' Draco said sarcastically. 'People who don't get along often snog in the middle of kitchens.'

'I just don't want to go back. It'll be so complicated, and here, it's so simple,' Hermione said. She pulled back to see Draco's face.

'No matter is we're in this time, and married, or in Seventh year, I'll still love you,' Draco told her, looking deep into her eyes.

'You love me?' Hermione asked, smiling.

'Yes. I think I always have,' he replied.

Hermione smiled even more broadly. 'I love you, too,' she told him. 'I must've loved you for a long time, but I was in the middle before I knew I had begun.'

Draco kissed her again, but this seemingly perfect moment was interrupted by Aria tugging on Hermione's robes.

'Yes?' Hermione asked breathlessly, breaking away from Draco.

'Will you read me a book, Mummy?' the little girl inquired.

'Of course, poppet,' consented Hermione. She held Aria's hand, as she was lead down the hallway to her daughter's room.

Hermione spent the entire rest of the day until dinner reading Aria an enormous volume or wizarding fairy tales, which had many exquisite, moving illustrations.

Draco had come in and sat, listening, but had then gotten bored and left again. Finally, Hermione finished the book and closed it. Draco came in.

'Dinner time!' her announced.

'Good, cause I'm starving!' Aria said, bouncing up off her bed. "Come quickly, Daddy. Don't spend too long kissing Mummy. I want to eat,' she told him as she ran out.

Hermione stood up. 'I've never seen a book like that before. There were so many stories I didn't know existed,' she commented astonished, still absorbed in the book, Aria's comment was lost on her.

'That's the book my mother used to read to me when I was very young, before my father forbade it,' Draco told her as they walked out of the room. 'My mother thought I was going to be a girl, by the way. Bit of a shock for her and my father when I turned out to be a boy,' he said, grinning.

'Well, I must say, I am quite glad you turned out to be a boy,' laughed Hermione.

Later that night, Draco read to Aria from the Black heirloom book of fairy tales, which he had hunted down in their library.

Hermione held Aria in her lap and sat next to him as she listened too. Draco read off the true version of the Elves and the Shoemaker. The elves were House Elves, so when the Muggle shoemaker gave them clothes to thank them for their help, he unknowingly freed them, and they had departed in shame. Hermione became very indignant on this point, and had to leave the room so that she wouldn't use some rather bad words in front of Aria.

_In a children's book?_ She fumed silently on her return into the room. _They make the freeing of the elves seem bad!! Well, no wonder, with the 'most Noble and Ancient House of Black being what it is._

Aria was fast asleep when she reentered the bedroom.

'Sweet little girl,' Hermione said as she and Draco tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.

'She's a little angel,' he agreed. 'Just like her mum.'

'I'm no angel,' Hermione laughed, looking at him quite naughtily.

'Being with you is heaven on earth for me, Hermione,' Draco said softly, putting his arm around her as they walked softly down the corridor to their bedroom.

Hermione smiled, and put an arm around him as well.

'So, where do you want to sleep tonight?' Hermione whispered in Draco's ear, her arms around his neck as they stopped in front of their room.

'With my lovely wife,' Draco replied, kissing her softly on the lips as he opened the door.

'Sounds like an excellent idea,' she said throatily.

She kissed him back eagerly and started walking backwards into the room. Draco unzipped her robes, and they fell to the floor as they stumbled towards the bed. His eyes lingered over every part of her nearly naked body before she managed to get his robes off of him. Hermione pulled him downwards onto the bed on top of her.

_Colloportus_


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione was awoken by a pounding on the door.

'Malfoy! Wake up and come out or we'll blow this door off its hinges!' Ron's voice bellowed through the door.

_Damn. Back in the present,_ Hermione thought woefully.

Draco regretfully got out of bed and threw on his bathrobe, tying it as he walked to the door. He opened it just wide enough for him to stand in the opening. Hermione hid from view behind the curtains on Draco's four poster dormitory bed.

'What do you two want?' asked Draco grumpily.

'Where the bloody hell is Hermione?' Ron demanded.

'She was supposed to meet us at breakfast,' Harry added, somewhat more calmly in explanation. Harry and Ron were both already dressed in Quidditch robes.

Hermione pulled Draco's Slytherin house robes around herself and joined him at the doorway. She slipped under the arm he had holding the door.

'You two may want to go and sit down,' she told them.

'You-'Ron gagged. 'And _him_-in _school_?'

'Come on, Ron,' Harry said, tugging at Ron's sleeve. Harry looked sort of pale.

Hermione closed the door. 'We'd better get dressed.'

'Must we?' Draco asked, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her towards him. 'Why bother, when we could stay here, and _not_ get dressed,' he added, giving her a naughty grin.

'Yes, that would be _very_ nice, but we need to go out and explain,' Hermione said, drawing away from him. 'But I'll need to borrow some of your clothes, since mine are all in my room.'

She began looking through his trunk, and finally pulled out a shirt and some sweatpants.

'Sweatpants?' she asked, pulling them on over a pair of his boxers. '_You_ own sweat pants?' She put on the shirt.

'Well, just for when it gets cold at night. I would never wear them _out_,' he defended.

'I never thought you would,' Hermione comforted, smiling at him. She put her arms into Draco's Slytherin robes.

'Why the robes, 'Mione?' It's _Sunday_,' Draco emphasised.

'I just want to send those two over the edge,' she said, smirking.

'Oh, I believe we've already done that,' Draco said as they left the room.

Harry and Ron were sitting on one of the couches, silent. Draco and Hermione sat down together on the opposite couch.

_Oh dear. They'll never go for this. They'll never speak to me ever again. They won't let me help them anymore._

'Well,' she began. 'To make a long story short, Dumbledore blasted us into the future, where we're married. Apparently, there's some sort of prophecy, and Dumbledore wanted us to fall in love faster, or something.'

'It worked, as I'm sure you can tell,' Draco drawled, smiling lazily at Hermione.

'Yeah, well, I knew about the prophecy, and-' Harry got interrupted.

'What?! You knew, and you didn't tell me?' Ron exclaimed indignantly.

'And, er- well, Ginny and I were sort of blasted into the future too,' Harry said. Hermione's jaw dropped. 'Where she and I are married,' he added for Ron's benefit.

Ron gawped at him.

'So, you knew when Draco lost it, what was going on?' Hermione asked. Harry nodded. 'And, when we went out to eat... Hold on. Ginny! I'm going to kill her!'

'Why?' Ron asked.

'Well, er, see, Ginny sort of Apparated in unexpectedly several times...' Hermione trailed off, because Ron was getting very embarrassed.

It suddenly registered in his brain what Harry had said.

'Hey! You better not have tried anything with her! Married or not, I don't care, because you knew you'd be back to this time period!'

Harry looked at him, a bit nervously. 'I think it's Ginny's decision what she does,' he told Ron mildly. 'And we _were_ married when...stuff happened...so it's really none of your business.'

Ron's eyes narrowed, but didn't say anything in return.

'And that brings us back to what you two were thinking, sleeping together in school!' Ron shot at Hermione and Draco. 'Not that it comes as that much of a surprise that you two would get together, even though I didn't know about the prophecy.'

'What?' Hermione asked, taken aback. _I thought I kept my fancy for Draco pretty quiet._

'Oh, Malfoy is such a prat. I can't believe the way he goes on about everything. He's such an arrogant berk. He has no compassion whatsoever for anyone's feelings,' Ron said, mimicking Hermione's voice. 'Now, can you tell me how we couldn't have noticed how much you paid attention to him, and cared about him from the way you complained so much about how he didn't care about your feelings?'

'Except for that fact that I actually did,' Draco interjected loftily.

'Yeah, well, you fancying her was pretty obvious too,' Harry said, shutting him up. 'The way that you two looked at each other when you thought the other wasn't looking wasn't a dead give away,' he said sarcastically. 'And the way you two would pretend to look at each other scathingly or glare at each other while Ron and I were yelling at Draco, when in reality, you just wanted to look at the other person free from notice. Draco, you barely looked at us while insulting us. You looked at Hermione!'

'So, you guys aren't upset?' Hermione queried.

'No,' Harry and Ron said in unison, grinning.

'We're right pleased you two have finally gotten it together so you aren't all snappy with everyone around you, suffering under unresolved sexual tension,' Ron said.

'Just, I mean, come on. Please. Sleeping together at school, where anyone could burst in on you?' Harry said, paling.

'Scary mental images,' shuddered Ron.

'Well, honestly, we did _that_ when we were in the future, married. We won't do that in school!' Hermione said exasperatedly.

'Of course not,' Draco agreed earnestly.

_Wow. That's something I never thought I'd hear coming out of the mouth of Draco Malfoy, Slytherin sex god._ She smiled warmly at Draco, who proceeded to give her his double eyebrow raise. _There's the Malfoy I know and love._ She winked at him and he grinned back at her.

'Good,' said Ron. He and Harry looked infinitely relieved.

'Because if you get Hermione pregnant before she graduates, we'll blast you into next year,' Harry added, stopping his laughter, and looking quite serious.

'Thanks, Harry,' said Hermione. 'But I already have one dad – oh, damn! My father will not be happy about this.'

'Your father already knows-' Harry assured her.

'That I slept with him!' Hermione yelped, looking at Draco.

'-about the prophecy,' Harry added in a whisper.

'Who did Granger sleep with?' Pansy asked venomously, walking into the room. 'The insufferable know-it-all is no longer a virgin? Wait till I tell everyone about this, Drakey,' she crooned.

Draco leapt to his feet. 'Don't you dare!' he yelled at Pansy.

'Come on baby,' Pansy laughed. 'Give up the act.' She reached for Draco's arm.

Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously, and Draco yanked his arm out of Pansy's grip.

_Stop! Stop! Stop! This relationship has to stay under wraps. _Hermione thought frantically.

'I didn't sleep with anyone,' Hermione said. 'Dr-Malfoy was just trying to blackmail me.'

'Why?' Pansy asked, her hands on her hips.

'Because I failed astronomy,' Hermione lied.

'Why?'

'How should I know?!' Hermione exclaimed. 'Malfoy is just a self-absorbed jerk!'

'Why would he threaten you with telling people you two slept together?' Pansy asked haughtily. 'He hates you.'

'No, that was what Harry said I should tell people if Malfoy tried to blackmail me, to ruin Malfoy's reputation. But that doesn't matter, because I don't care if the whole world knows I failed astronomy!' Hermione yelled, a fire blazing in her eyes. 'So leave, Pansy, because you aren't welcome here!'

Harry and Ron looked anxiously at each other. Hermione had never exploded quite like this before, except when she slapped Draco in third year.

'Drakey, come on,' said Pansy, tugging at his arm.

'No, Pansy,' he said. 'I've got a Quidditch match '

'I bet I could find something that won't take too long, I promise,' Pansy simpered, moving sleazily, in a snake-like gyration.

Hermione felt the bile rising in her throat. _Eww._

'No, Pansy,' Draco said. 'I need to keep up my strength for the match.'

'Oh, alright,' Pansy cooed. 'Bye, now.' She blew a kiss to Draco, glared at Hermione, and left.

Hermione collapsed onto the couch, into Draco. 'Well, that was close!' she sighed. 'So, my parents know about the prophecy?' she checked with Harry.

'Yes,' he said. 'Which sort of leads us to the next thing,' he stalled.

'Which is...?' Draco prompted.

'The moment you guys go exposé on all of this is the day that the death Eaters attack Hogwarts, the day the battle for England and the world begins,' Harry finished.

'Obviously,' said Draco. 'However, I fail to see how this is going to be a problem, since we aren't about to tell anybody.'

Harry looked at Hermione and Draco quite gravely. 'No, you don't get it,' he said. 'You two announce your engagement when we're ready, and we choose when the war starts.'

'No,' Hermione refused.

'Excuse me?' Harry said hotly.

'No,' she said again. 'That is a rotten plan, Harry.'

'Dumbledore and I thought it up together,' Harry said defensively.

'So, this is a command from the head of the Order?' she asked, annoyed. 'Fine. But I don't think it will work. And I _will_ be speaking to Dumbledore about this.'

'Hey!' Ginny squealed, greeting Hermione in the Common Room, post-victory party for Gryffindor beating Slytherin.

'Ginny Weasley, I have to speak to you about something,' Hermione said over-sweetly. 'Or should I say, Ginny _Potter_?' Ginny's face froze with guilt. 'Shall we?' Hermione asked, gesturing towards the girl's dormitories. Ginny followed her silently.

'You _knew_ the _whole_ time?!' Hermione hissed, once they were sure of not being overheard, locked inside Ginny's dormitory.

'About what?' Ginny asked, trying to retain a resemblance of confusion.

'Ginevra! Do not fool with me!' Hermione yelled. 'You _knew_ that we had been blasted into the future from the start, because _you_ had been too!'

'Yes, well, it was smashing good fun to see you sitting on Draco's lap after only a few hours of being in the future. I had no idea you had it in you,' Ginny said admiringly. 'Who knew that behind you heart that is as "shrivelled as an old maid's" there is a wilder, naughtier Hermione?'

'Ginny!' Hermione admonished, appalled at this description of herself.

'Ah, yes,' Ginny said, smiling reminiscently. 'The only part that wasn't fun was, er-, when I sort of stumbled in on you guys in your bedroom, which I could have done without.'

Hermione flushed. 'And Dumbledore said we'd be alone.'

'He's got a twisted sense of humour, that man,' Ginny commented. 'Hey, but I hear you at least got in one real night with Draco before coming back to school,' she said, smiling slyly.

'Yes, and I heard you and Harry got some time in too,' Hermione said, smirking.

'Wha- Harry told you!' she squealed. 'Does Ron know? Oh, he's going to murder Harry!'

'Ron knows about it, and he didn't kill Harry. Harry told him it was your decision what you did,' Hermione broke in.

'He'll tell Mum!' Ginny half-whispered, in horror. 'She's kill both of us!'

Hermione had to laugh at that. Ginny shot her a look.

'Honestly, Ginny,' Hermione said, still smiling. 'Your mum won't find out, because Ron's too chicken to tell her. But she really wouldn't mind that much. She'd probably be pleased, because it would show that she's _really_ got a good chance of getting Harry in the family permanently.'

'So, you and Draco,' Ginny said, changing the conversation again.

'Yes? What about us?' Hermione asked.

'Nothing, I'm just contemplating the look on Parkinson's face when she finds out,' Ginny said, smiling. 'And the look the face of just about every girl at Howarts. You'll probably get a large article in the Prophet after the war. "Muggleborn Witch Marries Malfoy heir." '

'Oh, stop it, Ginny,' Hermione said, horrified at the thought of it. 'We'll be getting too much publicity as it is because of the war. If we win, which I hope we do.'

'Hey, now! There's no need to think of serious stuff today!' Ginny said, popping them both out of their dreary imaginings. 'There's a party downstairs!' She linked her arm through Hermione's, and they trouped down to the Common Room.


	14. Chapter 14

When Hermione returned to the Head Common Room later that day, when the festivities in Gryffindor Tower had subsided, she found Draco pacing and muttering to himself, back to the door. She came up behind him, right at the moment when he would turn.

'Fine, go and rub it in,' he muttered, hugging her nonetheless.

'Rub what in?' Hermione asked innocently. 'Oh, you _losing_ the snitch to Harry.'

She couldn't help rubbing it in just a little bit. 'Why are you pacing and talking to yourself, all alone?'

'Well, naturally, I can't go to the Slytherin Common Room. First of all, they'll all be angry I couldn't catch the snitch, even though someone's only beaten Harry when he's fallen off his broom for various reasons. And, Pansy will be there, offering "consolations." I've just been trying to figure out what could have been done differently, to get in more goals past-' Hermione cut him off by covering his mouth with hers.

'Hey, love. Glad to see you too,' she said. He tried to keep frowning, but that was rather impossible for him to manage while Hermione's arms were entwined around his neck.

'You're too covered in red and bloody gold,' Draco told her.

'And you are too covered in green and bloody silver,' she shot back at him. 'I think we need to do something about that.'

'Like what?' he whispered in her ear, snaking his arms around her waist.

Someone coughed behind them. They shot apart.

_We really need to keep it in the bedroom, or change that password_ Hermione thought guiltily.

It was, of course, Ginny. 'Wow, Will wonders never cease. You said you might not behave once back at school and how true those words were,' she said, laughing. 'Harry now owes me.'

'How much?' Hermione asked. Draco decided to go into his room and leave them alone to chat.

'Not how much. _What_?' Ginny corrected.

'Right,' Hermione said, thinking that Ron better not find out about the terms of this bet. 'So, anyway, what brings you here? I saw you less than ten minutes ago.'

'Er- Well, Harry and Ron decided to start a chess game, and I'm sick of watching them play, because they are both such poor losers,' Ginny told her.

'So you decided to come and see me?' Hermione asked rhetorically. 'Gin, I just finished talking to you. I haven't talked to Draco since...well, since this morning, which wasn't very long ago, but still.'

Ginny smirked. 'Oh, poor, poor Hermione.'

Draco walked back into the room.

'Were you serious when you said you wouldn't mind having more than one kid?' Ginny asked bluntly.

Draco opened and closed his mouth but no sound came out. 'Well, see, I haven't really thought about that, considering I'm only seventeen years old...'

'So?' Ginny asked. 'I've thought about it, and _I'm_ only sixteen.'

'Ginny, leave him alone,' Hermione told her, patting the couch next to her for Draco to sit down.

'So, _oh great Ginevra_, have you asked _Harry_ this question?' Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

'No,' Ginny responded. 'Harry couldn't handle talking about that.'

'And how many children _do_ you want?' Draco asked Ginny, trying to get her to leave so that he could be alone with Hermione.

'A fair few,' Ginny answered promptly, and without any embarrassment.

'Interesting,' Hermione said, feeling it wasn't really that much of a surprise.

Ginny sat there a few moments, and no one said anything. 'Oh, you two want me to _leave_,' she finally realised.

'Yeah, that's about it,' Hermione replied cheerfully.

'Well, fine, I'll go. Maybe I can get Harry to quit his game,' she said.

'OUT, Ginny!' Hermione told her. Ginny crossed over to the door, and left.

'How many children do _you_ want?' Draco asked timidly when Ginny was gone.

'A fair few,' Hermione mimicked, looking up at his face. 'What about you? I know you have an opinion on the subject, even though you told Ginny otherwise.'

'It would be nice to have a bunch of kids running around Malfoy Manor,' Draco admitted, grinning jauntily at her.

'And think how interesting it will be to see what houses they get into at Hogwarts,' Hermione smiled, as he lay down with his head in her lap.

'Slytherin,' he said. 'Undoubtedly.'

'You never know,' Hermione teased. 'The Blacks all went into Slytherin, but not Sirius. He was in Gryffindor.'

'That bloke who betrayed Harry's parents to the Dark Lord?' Draco asked.

'Voldemort,' Hermione corrected, stroking his hair. 'And he didn't really.' She explained the true events of their third year to him.

'Oh,' he said. 'You know a great deal more than that, too, don't you?' he asked.

'Yes,' she said. 'But too much to explain now.'

'As long as none of our kids go into Hufflepuff, I'll be able to bear it tolerably well,' Draco said.

'I'm sure they'll all be smarter than to have to go there,' Hermione said. They passed a few minutes in companionable silence. 'You know, we probably shouldn't be like this out here, where people keep popping in. What if Pansy was to show up?'

'Are you suggesting we go into a bedroom?' Draco asked, doing his double eyebrow raise.

'Maybe,' Hermione said, smiling. 'But I was serious earlier. We aren't sleeping together again until _after_ we graduate.'

'I know,' Draco said. 'I was serious too.'

'But it doesn't mean we can't have a good _snog_,' Hermione told him saucily. She slipped out from underneath him, and raced him to his room.


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione spent the next four months on schoolwork and DA. Then, in February, she and Draco had to plan the Valentine's Day breakfast, the second large one in Hogwarts' history. It was arranged especially for the announcement of Hermione and Draco's betrothal. Hermione and Draco were putting the final touches on the decorations in the Great Hall.

'Well, I guess this is it,' Hermione said, as students began to come in. She hurried over to the Gryffindor table. The plan was for Dumbledore to call Draco and her forward, and then announce their engagement. Hermione twisted her hair around her finger nervously. The last student sat, and Dumbledore rose, holding his goblet up high. Just then, a hoard of Death Eaters swarmed through the doors.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron all ran to the front of the students. Everyone pushed the first years to the rear, as many of the teachers pushed forwards. The remaining teachers herded the younger students away through a secret door. The war for the end of the world, and all humanity had begun early.

_I hope Draco's going to be alright_ Hermione thought, in her last free moment.

_Expelliarmus!_ Hermione nonverbally disarmed a Death Eater who had pointed their wand at her. _Accio wand!_ The wand flew into her open grasp, and she stuck it in her pocket. _Petrificus totalus!_ she thought. Two Death Eaters fell to the ground in full body bind. _Expelliarmus! Accio wands!_ She now had an arsenal of three confiscated wands. Suddenly, Hermione's own wand flew out of her hand, she was disarmed from behind. The Death Eater responsible raised his wand again, smiled wickedly at her as she spun around to face him. _Expelliarmus!_ _Accio wands._ His wand, and her own flew to her, and she pocketed both. Now that the world knew she could do wandless magic, why should she waste time grappling with one?

Hermione fell to the ground, a pain greater than she had ever known before coursing through her body, causing her to scream out. But she didn't shriek. She refused to give her tormentor that pleasure. Just one scream, and then she held it inside. Harry saved her from the Death Eater and then performed a charm to alleviate the pain. She saw the Death Eater, on the ground, stiff as a board, out of the corner of her eye as she winced, getting up. Ron managed to transfigure him into a metal wastebasket. _Why?_ thought Hermione. But there wasn't any time to dither. She saw Dumbledore give a signal. The signal was that they were to use the Unforgivables now that the Death Eaters had used the Cruciatus Curse.

Hermione pushed a Death Eater in front of her as a second one raised his wand to curse her. The second Death Eater killed the first as a result. A seventh-year Hufflepuff fell, dead, at her left. Hermione spotted another Death Eater begin the Killing Curse, directed at Susan Bones, who was dueling with yet another Death Eater. Hermione shot a powerful Transfiguration spell at the Death Eater about to kill Susan, and he was turned into a crumpled newspaper, which flew in a graceful arc into Ron's wastebasket. A Death Eater knocked Hermione to the ground. Crushed under his weight, Hermione gasped with pain. _Rictusempra._ Luna transfigured the Dark wizard into a copy of the _Quibbler_. Hermione noticed quite a few issues of the _Quibbler_ being guarded in the corner by a younger student.

After using Luna's treatment on a Death Eater who was about to attack Ron from behind, someone else grabbed Hermione, and his hand clamped over her mouth.

'I'm going to take you to the Dark Lord,' cackled the man. 'He'll have some fun with _you_, you filthy little Mudblood!'

Hermione struggled, and managed to stun him, transfigure him, and run back to the fight. She threw the _Quibbler_ to the buy guarded the others, as she re-entered the Great Hall. Scanning the room for the remaining Death Eaters, she spotted Draco, who was dueling against a silver-haired man. The man shouted at him, and her blood ran cold upon realising the elder man's identity.

'Draco! You are my son! Give the Mudblood over to her fate!' Lucius yelled.

Draco shouted back, after he dodged another curse. 'NEVER!'

Lucius raised his wand. 'Avada Ke-'

Hermione said the curse nonverbally, and a jet of green light shot from her hand, killing Lucius. Hermione quickly turned, catching a glimpse of a Death Eater coming at her. As she stunned him, another Death Eater pushed her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

Suddenly, Pansy came up and hissed 'Avada-' _Oh no, my life is over!_ Hermione thought. '-Kedavra.' Hermione blinked her eyes. She wasn't dead, but she _was_ pinned under the lifeless body of the Death Eater. Pansy came over, rolled him away, and helped Hermione up.

'Thank you,' Hermione said, astonished.

'You're welcome Granger,' Pansy said. 'I still hate you though, so don't get excited,' she finished maliciously.

Hermione looked rather confused, but kept on fighting. Soon, all who remained in the room were fifth through seventh years and the teachers; as well as a large pile of magazines and newspapers littering one corner of the Great Hall.

Just as Hermione has begun to breathe normally, Dementors floated in. Hermione raced over to the others, and they quickly formed a line. Each of them shouted 'Expecto Patronum!' Dozens of Corporal Patronuses took form, and the Dementors shrieked. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall created a strange glowing bubble, which trapped them.

Then Voldemort, like the devil himself, entered, robes billowing like poisonous smoke. He laughed shrilly.

'You all think you can stop me?!' He turned to Snape. 'Ah, the traitorous worm, Severus Snape! Don't worry, you'll be the very last to die. A slow, painful death. I said the one who had turned his back on me forever would be killed.'

Hermione was standing on Harry's right side, Ron on his left. Draco came up next to her, and put his left arm around her waist. Hermione pressed close to his side, and put her left arm around Harry. She felt a strange sensation pulse through their bodies.

_The prophecy! _

Voldemort turned toward them now. 'And the blood-traitor, the young Malfoy. Yes, and your filthy little Mudblood girlfriend, who murdered your father.'

'She didn't murder him,' Draco said defiantly. 'She did the right thing in killing Lucius.'

'Hold your tongue, boy!' Voldemort snapped. 'All of you, keep silent. The first one to speak will be the last to die, the first to suffer.'

Harry raised his wand. 'Avada Kedavra!' he shouted. A green light shot out of his wand, and Voldemort merely moved to the side to avoid it, laughing cruelly.

'Didn't think it would be that easy to get rid of me, did you, Potter?'

He shot a Cruciatus Curse at Harry, but it rebounded, and hit himself. He shrieked in anger and in pain.

_We helped protect Harry. Just because of our love._

Without thinking, he cursed Harry again, 'Avada Kedavra!' The green light ricocheted off of Harry's chest, killing Voldemort. After a moment, Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall rushed forward to make sure that he was really dead.

'Dead,' Snape announced.

People who loved him and who loved life had bordered Harry on all sides, people who were willing to fight to the death to protect life. It had saved him, and everyone else. A smile spread across Snape's face, a genuine smile. It was contagious. Everyone started grinning. Hermione hugged Harry and Ron in relief. Then Ginny ran to Harry, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Ron shyly returned Luna's exuberant embrace. Hermione turned to Draco, flinging her arms around his neck, as he pressed his lips to hers. Pansy shrieked when she saw them. Hermione and Draco broke apart reluctantly as Pansy stalked over to them.

'You! You can't really be going out with that girl!' she screamed at Draco. Everyone turned to stare.

'I _am_ going out with this _woman_, Pansy,' Draco announced.

Everyone in the room looked momentarily stunned, but many came up after a second to congratulate them on finally managing to get it together.

'Alright, settle down now,' Dumbledore said gravely. 'There will be a time to celebrate, but that time is not yet come. Unfortunately, we have lost several students today. Meredith Bolger and Thomas Ednor, first year Hufflepuffs. Justin Finch-Fletchly, seventh year Hufflepuff. Zacharias Smith, seventh year Ravenclaw. Romilda Vane, sixth year Gryffindor, and Calista Prewett, seventh year Slytherin. A moment of silence for them.'

Everyone bowed their heads. A few minutes later, Mr and Mrs Weasley came in, followed directly by Tonks, Lupin, and Moody. They went over to Dumbledore.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were called over.

'We need to go to Headquarters right now,' Mrs Weasley informed them. 'Any straggling Death Eaters, as there are bound to be, will kill you four immediately.'

'But, what about Draco?' Hermione asked worriedly.

'Dumbledore and Snape will see to him,' Mr Weasley said. 'Come along now, your animals and trunks can be fetched later.'

Hermione waved to Draco as she left, and a tear ran down her cheek. He tried to run after her, but was stopped forcibly by Snape. Ginny put her arm around Hermione, pulling her back around.

'It's going to be okay, 'Mione,' Ginny said as they ran to the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, to Floo into Hogsmeade.

'The Hogs Head!' shouted Hermione, as she stepped into the green flames.

_The war's not over after all,_ she thought, stepping out of the flames into the dingy pub. She Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

FIN


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